MRI Casino Marketing Blog
An Efficient Mobile App for Your Casino Marketing Mix

The revolution has happened. The casino demographic, your demographic, is online! 

Trained by other industries, your customers go online for travel, banking needs, and even grocery shopping. Interacting with your casino in a digital environment is no longer revolutionary, it is expected. However, with this adopted digital behavior–so too comes an up-leveled expectation of a seamless experience for most things they engage with–including how they have fun!

Marketing Results brought the player portal to casinos starting in 2008. Fifteen years later, the casino industry has changed and technology has transformed at a rapid pace. Clients of Marketing Results show that mobile use of casino websites is between 65% and 75% of total traffic–averaging 71.5% of traffic for the last 90 days. 

"With our first casino mobile app in 2015, we knew that we needed to focus on features that would drive revenue and inspire customers to make return visits to the property. Our research showed us that customers wanted direct access to their point balances and offers, and casino staff were overwhelmed with customer requests and administrative tasks, so creating a mobile version of a casino kiosk or players club desk was a no-brainer,” says Amy Morais, Director of Digital Products.

You can read more about Marketing Results’ player portal and the benefits to both you, the casino marketer, and your players on our blog. What we would like to talk about today is the progressive web app, known as a PWA. 

A progressive web app can be downloaded from the player portal to your customers' phones, exactly like the mobile apps offered in the App Store and Google Play. Why is this important? Instead of sending players to an online store where they might get distracted by a shiny new game, you can let them download the app immediately without leaving your player portal.

Making the leap to a native mobile app is expensive and labor-intensive for a casino marketing department, and navigating the store policies and approval process can be daunting and time-consuming. Store policies change frequently, and applications require regular updates as new operating systems are released. With a PWA you're relying primarily on web technology and have more control over the need for new releases and feature updates.

Marketing Results player portal features are all available through a PWA. This includes direct mail offers, gamified and bonus offer programs, account updates, win/loss statements, and a casino marketing messaging system that allows you to target different groups of players. Unlike other portals and casino apps, Marketing Results player portals and PWAs aren’t just a mobile version of your casino website; the experience we offer is focused on the casino players club and your database marketing goals. 

With a player portal, accessible as a PWA, you can not only tell your players what your casino offers, but how they can access it with their points and status. A player portal, designed and delivered through a progressive web app, enables you to quickly begin communicating with your players in a very customized and personalized way. Now, they can stay logged in and receive push notifications when they are on and off the property, extending their experience and the fun. 

Marketing Results’ analysis of portal and app usage shows that those engaged are active customers who drive revenue. They may also be older than you expect: the 60+ age segment represents the largest percentage of mobile app and portal users.

Cut the red tape. By employing a PWA, you are avoiding the costs and problems you could run into with app stores. Progressive web apps are downloadable from the player portal and interoperable across different platforms and devices. 

To learn more about player portals and progressive web apps, schedule a consultation with Marketing Results, and visit us at G2E, October 9 through October 12 in Las Vegas.